In-state vs out-of-state tuition

At public universities the price depends on where you live; at private colleges the sticker price does not.

Public universities

State legislatures subsidise public institutions on the understanding that residents pay less. In-state students are charged a lower tuition rate; out-of-state and international students pay the full cost of instruction plus a margin. The gap is large — often two to three times the in-state price at flagship universities, and it is the single biggest pricing difference in American higher education.

Establishing residency

Residency is defined by state law, not by the university. Typical requirements: twelve months of physical presence, a state driver's licence, voter registration, tax returns and financial independence from parents who live elsewhere. Moving to a state mainly to attend college usually does not qualify, and petitions are audited.

Reciprocity and waivers

Many states belong to regional exchange programmes (WICHE in the West, the Midwest Student Exchange, the Academic Common Market in the South) that let residents of one state pay near-in-state rates at partner institutions in another. Some universities also offer automatic merit scholarships that reduce the out-of-state price to roughly the in-state level.

Private colleges

Private institutions publish one tuition figure for all students, but almost nobody pays the sticker price: institutional aid, need-based grants and merit scholarships reduce the net price. That is why the IPEDS net-price figure for a private college is often half its published tuition — and why comparing sticker prices across sectors is misleading.